Summary
In November 2021, the remains of an unidentified individual were found in a wooded area in Tucker, Georgia. It was determined that the remains were that of a white male who was 35 to 50 years old. It was estimated that the man stood 5'7" to 5'9" tall. He had brown hair and wore a gray striped button-up shirt, pair of dark colored pants, blue windbreaker hoodie, and a pair of New Balance sneakers. No other identifying characteristics for the man were available and he became known as Dekalb County John Doe.
Since the discovery of the unknown man’s remains, investigators diligently pursued various leads about his identity. A traditional DNA profile was developed and entered into CODIS but there was no match to a known individual. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP101181. To help visualize the man's appearance during his life, an artist rendering was created and released to the public in hopes that it would generate new leads about the man’s identity. Despite the exhaustive efforts of law enforcement, the man’s identity could not be determined.
In 2024, the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office once again teamed with Othram to leverage advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogy to develop investigative leads in hopes of identifying the man. Forensic evidence was submitted to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas where DNA was extracted and used to build a comprehensive DNA profile using Forensic Grade Genome Sequencing®. Othram genealogists used the profile in a forensic genetic genealogy search to provide new leads to law enforcement.
These new leads fueled a follow-up investigation, leading the DeKalb County Cold Case Task Force to potential relatives of the man. The DNA profile of a potential relative was compared to the John Doe's profile using KinSNP® rapid relationship testing, allowing investigators to name DeKalb County John Doe as 26-year-old Terry Prater. Prater's mother had reported him missing on June 20, 2021 and details of his missing person case were entered into NamUs as MP95534. Prater had been dropped off at a bus station in Lexington, Kentucky to travel to Savannah, Georgia to visit his mother, but he never arrived.
Terry Prater's identification represents the 22nd case in the State of Georgia where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. To read about other cases in Georgia, visit DNASolves.
Michael Vogen
Director of Case Management
Michael works with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada on “unsolvable“ cases that can benefit from advanced DNA testing methods. He helps these agencies use cutting edge DNA sequencing and new forensic techniques to develop investigative leads for their cases.